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KOSSUTH COPPERED, 



C|e ^aitJjHet at % Capital d yapita. 




(K****tli Reviewing the New York Militia.) 



CONTAINING 



GULLIVER'S GREAT SPEECH. 



ILLUSTRATED BY F. BELLEW. 



~£^)C 



5 NEW YORK: 
PUBLISHED BY THOMAS FRERE, 87 NASSAU-STREET. 

1852. 



KOSSUTH COPPERED, 



C|e ^mfiti at % Ciiptal i Japte. 



CONTAINING 



GULLIYER'S GEEAT SPEECH. 



ILLUSTRATED BY F. BELLEW. 




^ NEW YORK: 
PUBLISHED BY THOMAS FRERE, 87 NASSAU-STREET. 

1852. 



Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1852, by Thomas Frere, in the District Court for 
the Southern District of New York. 






A portion of this poem appeared, some weeks ago, in the New York Herald. 



Geo. W. Wood, Printer, No. '2 Uuloh-Btreet. 



THE BAIQUET. 




HE White House was a-stir, 



't^' In Congress, men were mnte : 



The wonder of the year, 
Was this new saint, K****th! 



In HALL and street, 

The coming fete 
Was theme of every tongue ; 
And no man went abroad that day, 
But heard of K****th, on the way. 
In some inspiring song! 
Each loafer, in his hungry pause, 
SjDoke glibly of the apostle's cause, 
And eloquently swore that he 
Would help down-trodden H * * * * 



In PARLOR, maids and ladies bright 
Spoke of the exile with delight : 



THE BANQUET. 

And all enraptured seemed ; 
"WMle Gr * ■^ * * "^ * d gkace-fully declared, 

" The more Ms liead divinely beamed, 
The more a body stared !" 

And her sweet eyes ran o'er ! 

The more she gazed the more 

The lady was enthused ! 

She mused, and mused, and mused 1 
And fell asleep, and dreamed 

Of young Messiahs, 

Or — something pious ! 

In CHAMBERS, nurses used the name, 
Th' unruly urchin thus to tame, 
And quiet his young yells ! 

Teaching his little tongue to toot 
Immaculate K****th : — 
(Pronounc'd unlike it spells.) 

And, lo ! the hour's approach, 

"When K****th goes to dine ! 
See omnibus and coach, 

And liveries that shine, 
Thronging the avenue, 
At Brown's, to get "a view!" 

But hark, the angry crowd, 
Muttering aloud : 



THE BANQUET. 

''What disappointment's this? 

We're put off with, a quiz ! 

We came the elephajstt to see — 

Is that the great grandee ? 

That little ^ZZ with sword and sash, 

And very fierce mustache?" 
* * -jj- * -jf 




The feast was spread ;- 
And overhead 



THE BANQUET. 

Flaunted, arousing, -warlike flags ; 

The Stripes and Stars, 

BeseecMng wars, 
Higli waved above tlie other rags : 
And, far down in tlie same saloon. 

You could beliold, 

In colors bold, 
Tlie meek-eyed Turkish, moon ; 
Old England's lion too was there. 
Quiet at first within his lair ; 
But suddenly he sought to break 
His bars, to get a piece of steak — 
Aroused by the delicious breeze 
That fann'd his nose, and made him sneeze. 
These three — the beast, and moon and staes, 
United once in freedom's wars, 
In solidarity arrayed, 
Could all creation make afraid ! 

At that same feast were men as sTeat 

O 

As ever ruled an ancient State ; 
With tongues as long, and heads as big 
As ever toss'd a powder'd wig ; 
With voices, too, to wake creation 
To listen to each grand oration ! 
Aspiring there, on stilts they stood. 
After demolishing the food, 



THE BANQUET, 

Cutting great attitudes and shapes, 

And climbing higher to get more grapes. 

All ! pleasant was it then to see 

The patriotic rivalry 

Which each inspired, with thoughts divine, 

In Fame's great gallery to shine ! 

The FEAST was spread : 

And the grace was said. 

In many a noble sentiment ; 

And every time the Chairman spoke, 

Whether in earnest or in joke, 

There came responses eloquent : 

The great and wise, 

The halt and lame, 

With staring eyes. 

To that Banquet came ! 

The good and bad, 

In their Sundays clad. 

Were laughing all, as if very glad 

Of a chance to see 

A divinity 

In the Governor of H****ry ! 
And there he sat, with his yellow sword 
To grace him at that festive board ! 
A sword more innocent, by far. 
Than the carving-knife that was making war 



THE BAKQUET. 

On the helpless carcases, in sight 
Of the Chieftain's glittering ejes, that night. 
You may not measure such a man 
As that, by inches, no, nor span ; 
He to the vulgar eye, just seeingj 
Appears to be a human being ! 
But mark his face, the sparkles of it 
Proclaim him, what he is, a prophet ! 
Colossal pillars, made of thought. 
Though unseen, with enchantment fraught. 
Can sometimes Hft a man, who aint 
" Much punkins," up to be a saint ! 
And so, at least, it seems to be 
"With S****d's new divinity. 

w w w ^ 

The dishes off, the generous pledge 
Sparkled on every goblet's edge ; 
The lauding toast was said, while rung 
Plaudits, long lingering, from each tongue ! 
Uprose the Chief ! eyes darted out — 
And ears were prick'd to hear him spout ! 
His lip, unseen behind his beard, 
Slow fashioning the awful word ; 
His eye, majestic in its roll. 
Emitting sparklets from his soul ; 
His hand — uplifted to beseech — 
Thus, tremulously ran 



THE BANQUET. 



THE speech: — * 



"As once Cineas stood, of yore, 
Kome's miglity seistatoes before. 
And lifted up his arms and eyes, 
In admiration and surprise, 
That any set of men could be 
So very full of dignity ; 
That any state, renowned or not, 
Could be with majesty so fraught 
As that same Rome, whose word or might 
The universal world could fright : 
So I, in admiration vast. 
Surprised amongst you to be cast, 
Survey these mighty men who come 
To rule a greater state than Eome : — 
A state whose towers are in the sky, 
Where soars the bird of Liberty. 



* That the reader may not be surprised that Gulliver should be able to deliver 
himself impromptu with such facility in verse, it is well to state that the Banquet 
Speech was written and in type some time before its delivery. Kossuth seems to 
imitate Gulliver in this manner of extemporaneous eloquence, for we see it stated, in 
reference to his late visit to Albany, that " his speech was written in the morning, 
and it appeared in the papers long before he concluded speaking. His secretary and 
himself manifested much indignation, and remarked that the printers had betrayed 
his confidence, as they promised him not to circulate it until delivered." If it be true 
that this indignation was manifested, the evidence is clear that Kossuth wishes to 
pass his speeches off as the efibrts of momentary inspiration. This is in perfect keep- 
ing with his divine mission, as he has, on various occasions, declared that he was the 
instrument of Providence. 



10 THE BANQUET. 

■ " Your glorious Hall, witli marble sill, 
Erected on yon snow-clad hill, 
Contains, collected in one heap. 
Three hundred heads, profoundly deep ; — 
Deep in the learning of the age, — • 
For every man appears a sage I 
While Eome's proud Capitol remains, 
The empty skull of ancient brains, 
"Without the spirit which of yore 
Aloft its soaring eagle bore I 

" Your Capitol, in glory standing, 
My admiration still commanding, 
Inspires me never to forget 
That only I and Lafayette 
Have thus been honored at your bars, 
Where Kings can't; come it — no, nor Czars l 
And hence I jump at the belief 
That you behold in me a chief — 
A hero — not of wars, but words, 
Though pointless, still as sharp as swords ; 
But not so dangerous by far 
As iron weapons are in war." 

" Your Capitol, which seems to be 
Protected by Divinity, 
Tho' lately covered o'er with fire. 
Producing consternation dire, 



THE BANQtTET. 11 

Still stands, unshorn of its proportions, 
Witli all its inside room for motions ! 
Witli all its marble pillars still 
Uplieaving it on yonder hill ; 
Its breathing monuments of brass 
Dodging from votes in every pass, 
And gazing, with enraptured eye. 
Upon the artists' phantom sky, 
Adorned with goddesses and cupids. 
And saints, and martyrs, and quadrupeds ; 
And pictured heads, from CI — ^y's to C — ^bs, 
Cornwallis's, and other daubs — 
Where each proclaims its neighbor kin, — 
Being finished with a double chin ! 
Where art, still struggling after red, 
Prick'd the pale cheek until it bled ; 
Where Indian men, in blanket shirts. 
Lead squaws arrayed in satin skirts, — * 
Your Capitol, adorned with these 
Eevealings of your histories. 



* The pictures in the rotunda at the Capitol, supposed to be the ones referred to 
by the orator, are only tolerated because they commemorate interesting historical 
events. No one of this day, of any taste, would venture to admire them as specimens 
of art. In contrast with these very trifling paintings, the writer noticed, a few days 
ago, in the rotunda, a magnificent picture of Patrick Henry in the Treason Scene, by 
RoTHERMEt. This is altogether a masterly production, conceived and executed with 
the boldness which belongs alone to genius. This picture should be the property of 
the Government, and not of the " Art Union." 



12 THE BANQUET, 

Still stands symbolic of the fall 
Of tyrant, prince and feudal hall f 

"Had I arrived in time, I'm sure, 
(As once in Lillipnt, of yore, 
I did tlie Queen's imperial Hall 
Put out witli engine natural,) 
I miglit perhaps have quenched the fire^ 
By throwing unfreezed water higher, 
Without the aid of any vain 
Contrivances to make it rain I 
And thus I might have saved the pages 
Of life's great book for future ages : 
But let that pass ; — ^your mighty brain 
Will soon restore the Books again ; 
And what now seems misfortune's story, 
Is the beginning of your glory. 
For every man who thinks that he 
Must interest posterity, 
Will make a book or two each week. 
And still have time enough to speak ! 
And hence your shelves will quickly be 
Chock-full of immortality. 

" The greatest glory of your land 
Is taking exiles by the hand, 
Whether they come with swords or flails. 
Or Pachas with their twenty tails ; 



THE BANQUET. 13 

This TAIL of mine, of course you know, 
Is brought along to swell the show ; 
To teach you how democracy 

Will be done up in Hun ry, 

When I, as history convinces, 
Shall kill off potentates and princes, 
And thrash the universe and Czar, 
And quit the wars without a scar ! 
Giving sweet peace to all, by spreading 
Democracy, and Kings beheading — 
All without axes, spears, or swords, 
But by the omnipotence of words ! 

" Excuse me, gentlemen, my vein . 
Has led me with immoderate rein : — 
To think of warring in the East, 
' In presence of this splendid feast, 
Were sacrilege — I turn my eyes, 
Amazed, upon the sacrifice ! 
Still wondering that the poor, in purse, 
Could charm you with his broken verse. 
Doubtless, 'tis luckiest to be poor ; — 
A sigh unlocks the grating door ; — 
A tear, unbidden, on the lid 
Of Freedom's eye, is never chid : — 
And therefore am I honored here. 
With your sweet words and sweeter cheer : — 



14 THE BANQUET. 

And this same table, wHcli is spread 
So bounteously with, meat and bread 
Before me, where insatiate eyes, 
Bewildered are, with creams and pies, 
Conspires to make the scene sublime, 
And fascinates me into rhyme ! 

" The greatness of your rising State 
Appears in every dish and plate ; 
But even in this you do but see 
The sequences of history : — 
In days of old, they used to rate 
A hundred boars and bulls to bait 
A dozen friends, in Eoman regions — 
(See Pompey's history and legends !) 
Ah ! the rude age ; they knew not then 
The luxury of a turkey-hen ; 
And their imaginations, big ' 

With elephant, rejected pig; — 
LucuLLUS with his famed Apollo, 
Is beat, in "w^^^^^^^^-n, all hollow : 
He knew not of this rarity : 
This fluid solidarity." 

And here the Orator explained his theme, 
By picking up a saucer of ice-cream ; 
And gave the audience a chance to shout, 
And pour its wild enthusiasm out ! 

For well he knew the art to make men scream ! 



THE BANQUET. 15 

And many thouglit it very great, 
That he could tlms profoundly prate 
Of eatables and the affairs of State ! 
And spend his learning at so high a rate ! 
And C**s and D*****s^ both delighted, said : 
" The little fellow has a monstrous head." 
And W*****r smiled, and S*^^*^d, with his eyes 
Intently rolling, uttered extacies ! 
While some, more calm, considered themselves roped — 
And H****on pick'd his beaver up, and sloped ! 

" Well, let us change the theme," the speaker said, 
And rolled his eyes round in his wizard head ; 

" When British statesmen, rudely bent 
On chaining down this continent. 
Conspired to raise your taxes higher, 
They roused, at once, your warlike ire, 
Which spread, like a consuming fire ; — 
And every vale and every hill 
Teemed with the people's iron will : 
You lifted up your arms in fray, 
And won the glorious victory ! 
Ah ! happy State ; in that dark day 
You had a friend to show " fair play !" 
And France, with Lafayette to lead 
With force, your glorious cause to plead, 
Brought operative aid and arms. 
To shelter you in battle's storms ! 



16 THE BANQUET. 

All ! wliat a jewel is ' fair play !' 

We liave it not ; usurpers sway 

The destiny of Europe now ; 

And Feance, free France lias fallen low ! 

Napoleon's bold and perjured word 

Has conquered France without a sword ; 

And Freedom's hope, tho' ne'er so bright, 

Goes down into eternal night ! 

Paris is now the word of Fate ! 

The Czar is bowing at her gate ; 

And Kings — ^in fearful horde combined — 

Array themselves against mankind. 

" Alas! no longer can we hope 
For Europe's help : a watery rope 
Is not more frail than protestations 
Of faith from kings to struggling nations ;— 
And Europe cannot show fair play 
To Europe struggling in the fray. 
Old England, glorious though she be. 
The home of Eegal liberty, 
"With princes free, and serfs oppressed — 
Standing upon the people's breast — 
Old England only now remains 
To speak of liberty — in chains. 

But what of that ? In H ry 

We'll stand our ground, and ' live or die !' 



THE BANQUET. 



17- 



And tiio' I did not stand before, 
In the fierce conflict of tlie hour, 
It was not that the Austrian spear 
Had terrors — but, the Eussian bear ! 




Oh ! had you seen his horrid teeth^ 
His fiery eyes, and smell'd his breath,. 
You had, with me, exclaimed, I know, 
In broken Enghsh, 'Westward, ho!' 
Yes, we will stand our ground, and be 
The champions of liberty ; 
And, or in earnest or in whim, 
We'll very surely 'sink or swim;' 



1$ THE BANQUET. 

You know the words— they are to you 
Historic echoes — ever true ! 

" Despots — and this idea's new — 
Despots conspire to save the few 
By crushing millions. Terror now 
O'erspreads the East, with gloomy brow ! 
And Silence, holding in its arm 
The thunder of the coming storm, 
Lies, listening, with its quiet ear, 
The tempest's far-off dread career ! 
Who sow the wind, must reap, in rain, 
Eattling and loud, the hurricane ! 
And I, my yellow scythe now ready, 
"With this same arm, so firm and steady, 
Expect to cleave the clouds asunder. 
And frighten back the coward thunder !" 




THE BANQUET. 19 

And here tlie Orator, inspired 
With matchless grace — with phrenzy fired, — 
Did up an attitude so brown, 
With lips half curled in smile and frown, 
That old Apollo, had he seen it. 
Would have knocked under in a minit ! 
While, at this eloquent appeal. 
The audience, rising on its heel, 
In shouts that broke Potomac's ice, 
And rent the reeling edifice. 
Inspired the Orator, anew 
His great oration to pursue ! 

" The Silence which just now we saw, 
Listening the hurricane with awe. 
Was very sensible, but still 
Its trance was broken by the shrill 
Sharp sounds of musketry, which late, 
In terror, bulleted a State ! 
While ruthless Bonaparte looked on 
Delighted at a nation's groan ! 

" Ah, me ! the sympathy I met 
In England I can ne'er forget ; 
But expectation's high demand. 
Permitted still on stilts to stand, 
May not be realised this day, 
And therefore — gently — let us pray /' ' 



20 



THE BANQURT. 



Anotlier desperate attitude, 

And tlien his theme he thus pursued : 




" 'Tis but a prayer! What less, what more 
Could be expected of the poor ? 
Take that away, and we are left 
Hopeless indeed — of life bereft ! , 

The poverty of man doth bring 
Blessings upon its tattered wing ; 
It soothes the mind, and quells the vain 
Endeavors of the aspiring brain ; 
And narrows down the lofty speech 
Into the humble word, beseech ! 
Ah ! 'tis a blessing to be poor I 
One's taxes are so much the lower ! 



" Good friends, I know well where I stand : 
Nor honors, threats, nor battle brand 
Could make this child forget what's due 
From H****ry and him to you ! 



THE BANQUET. - 21 

Here I, in silence, must await 

The potent judgment of your State ; 

I must abide your great decree, 

Whicli kills me off, or makes me free ! 

Wliate'er it be, I still must say — 

Feasted and toasted on my way — 

That fiUibusters loudly spoke 

Of armies and the battle shock ! 

Tho' driven back, I still must bless 

Your people for my happiness ! 

As old Cineas sadly went, 

(Tho' never man more eloquent,) 

Back to his Prince with thwarted schemes, — 

So, tho' my hopes dissolve in dreams, 

I will return across the sea 

Hopeless, but grateful still to be. 

My TAILS, inspired with gratitude intense, 

(Perfumed and bathed at Uncle Sam's expense,) 

Can ne'er forget the land of shops and shows, 

Where Humbug leads the people by the nose ! 

"I only want your woeds of power: 
There is no need at all for war ! 
I came to claim your sympathy 
In the great battle — to be free ! 
For money, arms,- and men I'm here, 
Not to make war with, but to scare. 
With bold appearances, the Czar ; 



22 



THE BANQUET. 



And frighten despots, till tliej yield 
Up Empires on a bloodless field. 

" In days of old, tlie banner red 
Euled witb resistless swaj, 'tis said ; 
The raging powers of steel-clad arm 
Took arsenals and forts by storm : 
In modern days when reason rules, 
And war is only sought by fools, 
The moral power of boasting tongues. 
The cannon of a great man's lungs, 
The fiery eye and fierce mustache, 
Can break great Empires all to smash ! 




I rule my household with imperial will — 

My eye and whiskers have been known to kill ! 



THE BANQUET. 23 

And yet I do it, but witli looks, not rods — 

Looks are the weapons of tlie immortal Grods ! 

To win, to kill, beseech, and terrify — 

As Maes won Yenus with the same soft eye, 

Which, filled with flame, made coward YuLCAN fly. 

You are so great, that if to say, 

That H****ry shall have fair play. 

Your word would better be than powder, 

And sound than many cannon louder ! 



"There is no telling how much lies, 
Of power, in fierce appearances ! 
A swaggering gait and bearded chin, 
And " swashing outside," oft will win ! 
Pyrrhus made many an army run 
By having all his teeth in one ; 
And CoCLES, with his nose and eyes. 
And singular deformities. 
Achieved great Eoman victories ; 
And Eichard's rude, unfashioned, form 
Was more than swords in battle's storm ! 
Did not the Persian army fly. 
In terror, from besieged Delhi, 
By artificial thunder scared. 
And lightnings which the Priests prepared? 
When Brennus led his Gaulish horde, 
To throw the Grecians overboard. 



24 



THE BANQUET. 



Did not the sylvan piper, Pan, 
Fill tliem with terror, till they ran ? 
With nothing but his pipe to blow, 
And huge deformities below ? 




" Ah ! there is a history in these 
Small items, glorious prophecies ! 
And in all histories, you see, 
Logic and issues must agree ! 
My welcome here to-night will ring. 
Like knell of death to Czar and King ; 
And nations will rise up to see 
The star of liberty in me ! 
In me ! though small amongst the great 
Big statesmen of a towering State ! 
I am the man, without a doubt. 
Who has to turn this world about. 
And rip up wrongs which now exist. 
With these two weapons — tongue and iist,- 



THE BANQUET. 25 

That is, provided you'll endorse, 
And come in with, dragoon and horse. 



"Divine humility, yon see 

Personified, this day, in me ; 

In me, — ^the God-selected, — ^who 

Stands upright in your startled view ! 

The fingers which I raise, this hand. 

Late using the hot battle brand ; 

This throat, familiar with your food. 

Are actually flesh and blood ! 

Let him who doubts it, come and feel. 

And recognize a human — real ! 

And this same glowing eye, albeit 

"With furious inspiration lit. 

Blazing for war, with milder light. 

Oft languishes in woman's sight ! 

I am not always what you see, 

For sometimes I am simple — me ! 

And when I doff my velvet gown. 

And shave away this bristling frown, 

And lay aside this lingering blade. 

That scorns the sun and courts the shade, 

[For which it certainly was made — 

Except for peaceable parade !] 

All think, who see me in undress, 

I'm concentrated gentleness ! 
4 



THE BANQUET. 

Therefore, be not deceived wlien I 
Tower so majesterially! 
'Tis but the outer man — ^you gump : — 
Bamboozle always was a trump ! 
A great man, struggling with his woes, 
Must look big, to abash his foes ! 
For all the world, and Gotham too, 
Are still deceived by outward show. 

And have we not a right to steal, 
And wear, appearances not real ? 
Did not white-livered Mercury 
Steal Yulcan's tools, and run away, 
And put a shop up, to appear 
A fiUibustering musketeer ? 
Giving it out, by winks and nods, 
That he made weapons for the gods ! 
Thus rivalHng his master, swearing, 
His tools were better for sky- warring ? 
Did not the same mischievous god 
Steal Jupiter's gold sceptre — ^rod 
Immaculate ! just to appear 
As brave a god as Jupiter? 
And did he not awhile deceive 
The universe with make-believe ? 
And bring worlds to a pause, to see 
Whether 'twas Jove or Mercury ? 
And did not Yenus, after kissing 
The same God, find her girdle Tnissing? 



THE BANQUET. 27 

So, to out-do Amphytrion, 
Did not great Jupiter put on 
Amphytrion's coat, and so decieve 
The Prince's wife, and get lier leave ? 
Deluded dame ! slie surely tliouglit, 
(Seeing Hm wear her husband's coat,) 
It was her own much honor'd lord — 
And gave him all, without a word ! 
"When — fatal fact ! th' indulging dear 
"Was nobody but Jupiter ! 
A sweet deception, if you please, 
Which gave, to mortals, Hercules ! 
Therefore, as logical sequence. 
We have a right to make pretence ! 

In Lilliput, when I was there, 
By orders from the Emperor, 
I was commanded to survey 
The man at arms — a rich array ! 
Oh ! how my heart, delighted, beat, 
To see tSese soldiers at my feet ! 
I needed not a horse to ride, 
But opening wide my giant stride, 
J I let the cohorts pass between 
My legs — those brave mihtia-men ! 
The swelling drum, the bugle's blast, 
The cavalry advancing past. 
The infantry with monkey coats. 
And leather backles round their throats, 



28 



THE BANQUET, 



Combined to make tlie scene a great 
And lasting lionor to tiie state ! 




One thing there was tlie scene to mar, 
And rend, with, shouts, the atmosphere : 
My pantaloons — ^but little worn. 
Had, in the seat, been sadly torn,* 
Which, to the soldiers, passing through. 
Exposed my shirt to pubhc view ! 
A fact, however strange to you, 
Absolutistically true ! 



* The rent in Gulliver's breeches is but a literal translation of the fact as related of 
that great adventurer. — See Gulliver's Travels. 



THE BANQUET. 29 

Had I been wise — experience teaches — 
I should have borrowed Marcy's breeches ! 

" There be who think my mission here 
A failure ; they are deaf, I fear ; 
The shouts which faU upon mine ear, 
Bring different music. Cold to me, 
May calculating statesmen be ; 
And wisdom-heads, with ice of years. 
May tremble in their tottering fears, 
And plead, with declamation rare. 
And warn the people to beware ! 
I care not for their feeble speech ! 
Who heeds, when Antiquaries preach ? 
The people's answering voice shall ring. 
And drown this garrulous gossiping. 

" The hoarded thoughts of studious years 
Must fall before the people's cheers ; 
The mighty people, who can think 
Correctly, always, by instinct. 
And roU up, in a single minute, 
A thought which has more wisdom in it. 
Than grave discourses, writ by sages. 
And covering many printed pages ! 
The Orator who stands so high. 
Commanding Senates with his eye, 
Is not as wise, by far, as they. 
Who ply the hammer all the day, 



80 THE BANQUET. 

And go forth, in the night, to see 

And recognize a prodigy — 

As they have often done — in me ! 

One single intellectual heave 

Of congregated crowds, doth leave 

But little for the wise man's art ; 

The People — governed by the heart 

And not the head — are always right, 

And clamorous for the far-off fight. 

" The glorious People ! did not they 
Sustain Napoleon yesterday ! 
And make him King without a fray ? 
The glorious People ! don't they go 
To see great Lola, at the show, 
And clap her, whether she will or no ? 

" When Eoman liberty grew proud, 
And Cato's voice disturbed the crowd, 
Did not the glorious people bring 
Great Caesar in to make him King ! 
Seeing that his almighty stride 
Could Roman Senates over-ride ! 
In Athens, when the people played 
The Monarch, and the Empire swayed, 
Did not the Areopagus, 
The People's Congress, make a fass, 
And fix themselves to ostracise, 
"When any man grew very wise ? 



THE BANQUET. 31 

And -was it not the folks of Greece 

That kill'd old dotard Socrates? 

And do you not grow wild with glee, 

In looking on my sword and me ? 

Inspiring thoughts of Liberty ! 

And is not this enough to show, 

That PEOPLE more than statesmen know ? 

Ah ! who in aU this crowd can doubt 

That I will work my wishes out 

In this great land, with such as ye 

To shout for glorious H****ry ? 

"I see before me many wise 
And noble men of diflferent size ; 
From five-foot three to six-foot four, — 
Some with less belly, some with more : 
There must be, at this very feast. 
Ten embryo Presidents, at least ! 
Each with his Secretaries pick'd 
To keep him company when lick'd. 
Well, one and aU, I wish ye grace, 
And speed in the ensuing race ; 
At present I am quite content ! 
But be not over confident ; 
For should the people urge too hard, 
(I do but put you on your guard,) 
Another nag will take the track. 
Or you must pay my passage back !" 



32 



THE BANQUET. 



At this announcement, heard or no, 
The graceful traveller bowed low ! 
While no one noticed that the spear, 
Entangled 'twixt his legs, came near 
Upsetting him ! he backward fell 
As graceful as Apollo Bel, 




And caught himself upon the chair, 
Which happened to be waiting there. 




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